The document discusses the concept of the "culture industry" developed by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. They argue that the culture industry produces meaningless, mass-produced entertainment that deceives masses by creating illusions and stereotypes and manufacturing desire for commodities. Key aspects of their theory are that it emphasizes style over content, promotes pseudo-individuality, encourages passive consumerism, and is closely linked to advertising. Modern criticisms question if it ignores today's diversity and niche markets or the ability of consumers to resist manipulation.

1. THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY
:

ENLIGHTENMENT
AS
MASS
DECEPTION
THEODOR
ADORNO
AND
MAX
HORKHEIMER
(1944)
A
Project
By
–
Adi?
Jajal
Ja?n
Mehta
Jaishree
Bansal
Shru?
Dua

2. THE
THINKERS
COLLABORATIVE
WORK
:
THE
DIALECTIC
OF
ENLIGHTENMENT
(1947)
 THEODOR
ADORNO
(1903
–
1969)
 MAX
HORKEHIEMER
(1895
–
1973)
SOCILOGOIST,
PHILOSOPHER,
MUSICOLOGIST
PHILOSOPHER-­‐SOCIALOGIST
MEMBER
OF
FRANKFURT
SCHOOL
OF
SOCIAL
MEMBER
OF
FRANKFURT
SCHOOL
OF
SOCIAL
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
1
NOTED
IMPORTANT
WORK
–
MINIMA
1
NOTED
IMPORTANT
WORK
–
ECLIPSE
OF
MORALIA
(1951)
REASON
(1947)

3. THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY
–
THE
CRUX
 A
CRITICAL
CONCEPT
THAT
STATES
THAT
THE
ENTERTAINMENT
BUSINESS
PRODUCES
PRODUCTS
THAT
ARE
MEANINGLESS,
MASS-­‐PRODUCED
AND
ARE
AIMED
AT
DECEIVING
THE
MASSES
AT
SEVERAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
LEVELS
–
BY
CREATING
ILLUSIONS
AND
STEREOTYPES,
BY
MANUFACTURING
DESIRE
FOR
COMMODITIES
THAT
ARE
PRODUCTS
OF
CAPITALISM.
 PRE-­‐DETERMINED
NORMS
OF
WHAT
“SHOULD
BE”
 MAJOR
CONCEPTS
UNDER
THE
THEORY
–
1. STYLE
OVER
CONTENT
2. PSEUDO-­‐INDIVIDUALITY
3. PASSIVE
CONSUMERISM
4. ADVERTISING
AND
THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY

4. STYLE
OVER
CONTENT
 REPETITION
EVERYWHERE
 PACKAGING
DIFFERS
 “READY
MADE
CLICHES”
 CONFORMISM
OF
THE
BUYERS
 EFFRONTORY
OF
THE
PRODUCERS
RESULT
:
THE
SAME
THING

5. PSEUDO-­‐INDIVIDUALITY
 YOU
WANT
THAT
VERY
UNIQUE
PHONE?

6. PSEUDO-­‐INDIVIDUALITY
 A
CONSUMER
SAYS
:
BECAUSE
IT’S
VERY
“ME”
 ILLUSION?
YES.
IT’S
NEVER
ONLY
YOU.
IT’S
THE
MILLION
OTHERS
THAT
THINK
IT’S
VERY
“ME”
“PSEUDO
INDIVIDUALITY
IS
THE
PREREQUISITE
FOR
COMPREHENDING
TRAGEDY
AND
REMOVING
ITS
POISON:
ONLY
BECAUSE
INDIVIDUALS
HAVE
CEASED
TO
BE
THEMSELVES
AND
ARE
NOW
MERELY
CENTERS
WHERE
THE
GENERAL
TENDENCIES
MEET”
(HORKHEIMER
&
ADORNO,
1976).
THE
INDIVIDUAL,
LIKE
A
PRODUCT,
IS
MASS-­‐PRODUCED.”

7. PASSIVE
CONSUMERISM
“THERE
IS
NOTHING
LEFT
FOR
THE
CONSUMER
TO
CLASSIFY.
PRODUCERS
HAVE
DONE
IT
FOR
HIM”
“LANGUAGE
IN
COMMUNICATION
SIMPLY
BECOMES
A
MEANS
TO
TRIGGER
CONDITIONED
RESPONSES”

8. ADVERTISING
AND
THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY
 TECHNICAL
AND
ECONOMICAL
MERGER
BETWEEN
THE
TWO
 BOTH
SEEN
EVERYWHERE
 BOTH
MECHANICAL
REPETITIONS
TIME
AND
TIME
AGAIN
 BOTH
VIEWED
AS
MANIPULATIVE
 “IN
BOTH
CASES,
STANDARDS
ARE
THE
STRIKING
YET
FAMILIAR,
THE
EASY
YET
CATCHY,
THE
SKILLFUL,
YET
SIMPLE”
OBJECTIVE
OF
BOTH
:
OVER
POWER
THE
CUSTOMER,
WHO
IS
CONCIEVED
AS
ABESNT
MINDED
OR
RESISTANT

9. SOME
MODERN
CRITICISMS
OF
THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY
THEORY
 WHAT
ABOUT
CURRENT
DIVERSITY
AND
MARKET
SEGMENTATION?
 WHAT
ABOUT
NICHE
PRODUCTS?
 WHAT
ABOUT
THE
FACT
THAT
CONSUMERS
ARE
NOT
TOTALLY
PASSIVE?
 ILLUSION
OF
REALITY
–
WHO
DEFINES
REALITY?

10. THANK
YOU
 “…
BEAR
WITNESS
TO
MAN’S
ATTEMPT
TO
MAKE
HIMSELF
A
PROFICIENT
APPARATUS,
SIMILAR
(EVEN
IN
EMOTIONS)
TO
THE
MODEL
SERVED
UP
BY
THE
CULTURE
INDUSTRY.”